Prevalence of Trypanasomiasis in Northern Nigeria: A review

Abstract

Trypanosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Trypanosoma, is a significant public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, including Northern Nigeria. The disease, transmitted by tsetse flies, poses a significant threat to human health, livestock production, and economic development. Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT), also known as Nagana, is caused by various trypanosome species, including T. brucei, T. congolense, T. vivax, T. equiperdum, T. evansi, T. simiae, T. suis, and T. theileri. Cattle are the most affected, but other animals such as goats, dogs, sheep, pigs, and wild animals are also susceptible. Symptoms of AAT include parasitaemia, anemia, loss of weight, reduced productivity, and high mortality, which limit the pace of rural development in tropical Africa. The current threat of AAT ranks among the top cattle diseases on sustainable livestock production and mixed farming. At least 3 million livestock deaths each year are caused by AAT, with a loss in livestock production and mixed agriculture valued at $5 billion US dollars yearly in Africa. Effective and sustainable control measures can result in up to threefold increases in the estimated livestock population in Nigeria. Trypanosomiasis is considered a haemoparasites, posing a major threat for the development of the cattle industry in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It kills a variety of domestic and wild animals and causes anemia, weight loss, miscarriage, and productivity losses. In Northern Nigeria, both human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) and animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) are prevalent. The epidemiology of trypanosomosis depends on the distribution of vectors, the virulence of the parasite, and the host's response.